


Skuld Helt Skildi

by QuakeWoman



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Deal, Gen, also it's post kh3, and probably taller than you, btw skuld is trans, injected about fifty million headcanons here sorry in advance, skuld is subject x theory, will add more tags as they become relevant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-06-30 08:46:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19849651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuakeWoman/pseuds/QuakeWoman
Summary: ive had a lot of ideas for skuld recently and been itching to get them out into the world pls be nice i am but a humble gay





	1. Fog

**Author's Note:**

> the title is taken from a line from an old norse poem

_One foot in front of the other._

Crystalline lights glowed brightly against stark shadow, the contrast blinding her already drowsy vision. The fog buzzed in her head, numbing her senses and dizzying her, her balance being thrown every which way. How long had she been asleep?

_Don't think about it._

She could barely see, barely walk, only feel herself burning beneath the strangling fog. The one thing she understood, and it was blanketed beneath the overbearing cloud of darkness that filled the dank, dead air. No steady pathways, no clear directions, no clue where she was, when she was, who she was, or why. Only the teeming presence of eyes on her, multitudes.

_Don't think about anything. Just find an exit._

She fell off a ledge again, nearly retching in brain-scrambling pain.

_Don't stop now. Stop moving, and you're done. That's a certainty._

She stumbled to her feet for the umpteenth time, hand on the cave wall to steady herself as she limped onward towards the faint sunlight pouring in from some unseen place. Freedom, she was certain. She had forgotten the feeling of warmth, but she knew it was right ahead. She rounded the corner, still struggling to clear her vision and get some sense of her surroundings, and hopefully of balance. This was met by another unexpected ledge, the three-foot drop knocking the wind out of her once more as she blacked out momentarily.

Coming to a second later, she craned her neck upward towards the light. Definitely warm. Freedom was only a short crawl away, so crawl she did. Mustering every last ounce of strength, she dragged herself across the cavern floor until her hand touched something cold and metal.

_A ladder?_

Squinting into the bright light way above, she attempted to judge its height and failed, her eyes and her tired, aching body betraying her. That damn fog dulled everything. It always had.

She exhaled one last time as the remainder of her strength dissipated, almost resigned to her fate. She felt the eyes around her, the darkness looming. She felt the fog close in, almost comforting in its chokehold.

_Giving up already? You're stronger than that._

Then, she felt lighter. As though she were floating, she found her hands and feet on each rung, the ground growing distant and the light brighter with each step.

_One foot in front of the other._

Throwing herself over the ledge at the peak, she clambered out and collapsed to the walkway floor as her weight returned all at once. Rather than stand up again, she simply laid there and attempted to catch her breath, as she basked in the brilliant light of the outside world.

Outside.

...It had been a long time, hadn't it?

She raised a hand to brush a mess of overgrown black hair off her face, shielding her eyes from the light as its warmth began healing her mind at last.

_...I was in a cell._

_I was a test subject._

_They wanted to uncover my memories._

_They... Scientists. Researchers. Large men. Large machines. Large hands..._

Her stomach writhed.

_A man with long, silver hair. A machine._

Her other hand found its place atop her increasingly beating heart. More memories returned, and more faces.

_An old man with a beard, and a scarf. A young boy. A scarred man with an eyepatch..._

She stopped and blinked, hearing voices in the distance. People?

...Them?

Finding some strength again, she pulled herself upright, nearly collapsing again from headrush, turned and limped away from the hole in the wall towards what appeared to be a town, still more scraps of memories floating by.

_Two boys, who found me. Wanted to free me. Never found me again. Were they too late? Friends..._

Her brow furrowed.

_...Friends._

She felt a sharp pain in her head, trying to recall.

_Four friends... and..._

"Ah! Right on schedule!"

Pulled violently from her thoughts, she clutched her chest in shock and fell backward onto the soft grass as her eyes snapped forward, attempting to focus. An old, blue-robed man with a beard down to his ankles was addressing her, his voice bright and cheery. It was giving her a headache. She stared around quickly, taking in the new scenery of which she was only now aware. This was... a garden? Were those flowers? Something told her that was right. She might have found it pleasant if not for current circumstances. She looked back up at the man, wordless.

"Oh, come now," he continued impatiently. "I'm no threat, my dear, don't be startled. You are standing before the great wizard, Merlin!" He took a bow to prove it. "My vast powers of foresight and wisdom told me I would have a fated meeting at this day, at this time, at this spot. And sure enough, here you are! And not a second too late, I might add! That certainly makes you a cut above the rest. Punctuality is everything, my dear!" He chuckled to himself and stroked his beard thoughtfully, pacing back and forth as she attempted to stand up again.

"Yet for all my knowledge, there are a great many things I do not know about _you_ , you see. Your name, your age, your origins... All I can say for certain is that you are quite a long way from home indeed! And though you may not know it, you have a _great deal_ of potential waiting to be discovered. And I know _just_ the trick for that sort of thing, don't you worry! Why, you should consider yourself _very_ lucky to be meeting me here today!"

She stared at him, still silent, still dazed.

"Oh," he stopped himself and turned to her again, noting how she towered over him, dead-eyed. "But I'm getting ahead of myself. You never told me your name!"

She stared at him, still silent, still dazed, slowly opening her mouth to attempt to speak. She was pretty sure she remembered how it worked.

"...My dear?" Merlin offered.

She responded by vomiting on his shoes.

"...Oh dear," he commented, giving a quick wave of his wand and vanishing away the mess. "Well, there'll be time for that later. You're in need of food, water and bedrest! And, um..." He stroked his beard. "Some more... _fashionable_ clothing. Now, come along!"

He turned and began walking further into town, gesturing for her to follow. She glanced down at the faded, tattered, unwashed rags she had been wearing for as long as she could remember, barely giving them another thought. They weren't exactly a priority to her right now. She limped after the wizard.

* * *

"Here it is, my dear!" Merlin gestured to the old storybook on the table, getting no response as she took in her new surroundings. With a *harumph*, he continued.

"This unsuspecting old book has an incredible ability to unlock powers that lie deep within! It's a rather excellent read, if I do say so myself. Go right ahead, chop chop!"

Her attention finally focused, she stepped forward and examined the book's cover, depicting a young boy and a small yellow bear sitting on a log together, their backs turned. It didn't look like food or drink to her. She sighed and opened it, and was at once hit with a flash of green light.

" _Augh--!!_ " She let out a low, gravelly shout through vocal cords that had not seen use in some time, and collapsed to the floor, unconscious again.

"Ohh," Merlin groaned in frustration. "You whippersnappers these days just aren't what you used to be!"

"What have you done now, old man?" A chipper voice called from the doorway.

Yuffie stepped inside with a bag of groceries, her expression turning to genuine concern upon noticing the girl lying on the floor at his feet.

"Uhhh..." she stammered, trying to think of a tactful way to approach the suspicious situation. "...Whaddaya got there?"

"Magic book," Merlin replied.

"Merlin."

"It seems she was weaker than I anticipated."

" _Uh-huuuh?_ "

"Oh, come now!" Merlin stamped his foot crossly. "What sort of person do you take me for?"

Yuffie snorted. "You don't want me to answer that honestly."

"Enough! This girl needs help. Lend me a hand, will you?"

Yuffie smirked and placed the groceries down. With a lot of effort, mostly on her part, the two lifted the unconscious girl onto Merlin's bed and tucked her under the covers. Yuffie brushed the hair from the girl's face, curious.

"She kinda looks like Tifa," she commented. "If Tifa made a lot of poor life decisions."

"Yes, quite," Merlin remarked sarcastically, fetching his bag and giving his wand a few quick flicks. "Why don't you tell her that when she wakes up, hmm? I'm sure she'll be _thrilled_ by the compliment." Several objects of varying sizes floated across the room, shrinking themselves down to fit inside the bag. The groceries remained untouched.

"Huh?" Yuffie perked up, watching the items dance in the air. "Are you going somewhere?"

"I'm needed elsewhere, I'm afraid," he replied, closing his bag and locking it. "A magician's work is never done! Consider yourself on babysitting duty for your _oh-so-amusing_ comments earlier."

"But what do I do?" Yuffie protested. "What do I say to her? What's her name? Who _is_ she, Merlin? Where'd she come from? Is she Tifa's long-lost twin sister Tifa didn't want anyone to know about, or something?"

"Hah!" Merlin retorted with some disdain. "For all my grand powers have told me, she might as well be. Some intellect, eh?" He gave his beard an annoyed stroke. "All I can say is she's been through a lot. Far too much for one lifetime, indeed. Her heart will need some time to mend. You look to be around her age, young lady. Why don't you try talking to her like a normal person? _There's_ a novel idea! A bit of human interaction will do her good. You can feed her too, while you're at it." With one last flick of his wand, the bag of groceries jumped onto the table in the centre of the room, making Yuffie flinch in surprise. She removed an apple from the bag and stared at it thoughtfully, before looking back to the sleeping girl.

"What do you mean, _been through a lot_?" She echoed, studying the wrinkled lines on the girl's face. The gaunt, dehydrated complexion. The deep, harrowed bags under her sleeping eyes. She looked far too young to look so worn.

"Perhaps she'll tell you all about it," Merlin replied, pocketing his wand and adjusting his robe and hat. "If you're lucky." He gave the girl one last, sympathetic look.

"May her heart be her guiding key."

And with that, he was gone in a puff of smoke.

Yuffie frowned, confused, at the space he had occupied a moment ago, before sighing and turning back to the other girl.

" _Been through a lot,_ huh?" The comment cast Yuffie's own mind back to the recent events her keyblade-wielding friends from other worlds had told her and the gang all about. To their own battle a few short months ago, defending the town from an enormous invasion of Heartless, her home being very nearly taken over a second time. Further still, to that distant memory of the first time. The horrid cackling from that fairy of darkness. She grimaced.

"There's a lot of that going around."


	2. Renewed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> writing scenes between three people who all have the same pronouns is hard enough but it's worse when one doesnt even have a name

_"Are you happy?"_  
_"Yeah. I am now."_  
_"Really?"_  
_"Yeah. Maybe now they'll leave me alone."_  
_"Will they?"_  
_"...I dunno."_  
_"You're not happy."_  
_"I know I'm not! Everyone picks on me 'cause I'm different. Everyone calls me weak, or calls me a girl. That's why I beat 'em up. They're always beating me up and nobody cares. They just get told off and then they keep going. Why do I have to get in trouble? It's not my fault!"_  
_"...What's wrong with being a girl?"_  
_"I-- Well... Nothing. But I'm not a girl!"_  
_"I'm a girl."_  
_"But I'm not!!"_  
_"Hm... I used to think the same thing."_  
_"...Huh?"_  
_"Do you like your hair?"_  
_"Yes."_  
_"Even though you get teased for it?"_  
_"Yes! That just makes me wanna keep growing it. It's none of your business."_  
_"You're right... You're exactly right. What do your friends think?"_  
_"..."_  
_"...?"_  
_"...I don't have friends. They just ditch me. Everyone ditches me."_  
_"...How does that make you feel?"_  
_"...I dunno. Angry? I guess."_  
_"Not sad?"_  
_"...I don't really get sad much anymore. I guess I'm used to it."_  
_"...What about happy?"_  
_"...I dunno. Sometimes."_  
_"Would having a friend help?"_  
_"I don't need friends! They disappoint me."_  
_"They do?"_  
_"It's my fault anyway."_  
_"...How so?"_  
_"'Cause they all think I'm weird, duh! Even mom and dad ditched me."_  
_"...I don't think that's your fault."_  
_"Yes it is."_  
_"You said yourself, it's not your fault."_  
_"No, I... I mean it's not my fault that I hit them! 'Cause they're always hitting me."_  
_"It's the same reason. Is there a difference?"_  
_"..........Yeah! None of it would happen if everyone thought I was normal."_  
_"Exactly. That is why it's not your fault."_  
_"Huh?"_  
_"You are normal. You are as normal as any other person. Other people just don't want to see it. They don't want to see who you really are. They refuse to see the potential you hold within."_  
_"Why are you talking like that?"_  
_"For the record, you have an incredible throwing arm."_  
_"...It was just a bunch of pebbles."_  
_"Yes, I saw. You threw them all and struck each boy in the head, from the opposite end of the courtyard. I've never seen such pinpoint accuracy before."_  
_"...You think it's good that I threw rocks at other kids?"_  
_"I think it's... impressive. That's all."_  
_"...Well, it's just another reason I'm not normal, then."_  
_"If that is true, then shouldn't being abnormal be a good thing?"_  
_"No! It sucks and i hate it! I don't wanna be weird, I want people to like me! But everyone just leaves me. No-one wants to talk to me. No-one cares. No-one would care if I left, or ran away, or died."_  
_"..."_  
_"...Can I go back to my room, now?"_  
_"...Just so I understand: There is nothing and no-one here to which you have any real attachment?"_  
_"...No?"_  
_The illusion fell. A field of dandelions replaced it. The woman's form, too, shimmered and fell as the Foreteller's robed, masked figure replaced it._  
_"...H...Huh...?"_  
_"My name is Master Invi. It is very nice to meet you."_  
_"...Where am I?"_  
_"We call it Daybreak Town."_  
_In a flash of light, her keyblade appeared in her hand. She held it out in offering._  
_"What the hell is that?!"_  
_"Think of it as... a second chance."_  
_"..........Do I live here now?"_  
_"Yes. There is just one thing you must do first."_  
_"What's that?"_  
_"You have to wake up."_  
_"...Huh?"_

* * *

"Come on, lazy bum. Wake up!"  
"Don't call her that! Be nice."  
"Hey, it worked with Sora!"  
"I very much doubt that."  
"You weren't even there!"  
"I was next door."  
Her eyes fluttered open, stirred by the voices, her vision too blurry to discern faces. A soothing aroma surrounded her, filling her senses.  
"See? I'm a genius!"  
She began to speak at last, but her mouth was too dry. She rolled onto her side as she began coughing and wheezing, struggling to look up at the face close to hers, inadvertently pushing some flowers over the edge of the mattress and onto the floor.  
" _M... Master... In...vi...?_ "  
Her voice was low and raspy, and strained.  
"Master who?" the other girl replied. "I'm the great ninja, Yuffie!"  
With a blink and a frown, her vision finally cleared. The one talking, Yuffie, was a young, spunky woman with a black headband under a bobcut, and was sitting backwards on a chair with her arms resting across the top rail. The taller woman standing behind her had long, brown hair, and an elegant pink and white dress.  
" _Whoa..._ " Yuffie leaned back with a look of surprise. "Déjà vu."  
"Maybe you should stop introducing yourself like that," the taller woman sighed.  
"Maybe I wouldn't have to if _Tifa_ wasn't always so secretive!"  
"She doesn't have a sister, Yuffie."  
" _Uh_ , then who is _this_ , Aerith? _Hmmm??_ "  
"A girl with long black hair? It's just the hair."  
"A likely story!"  
" _Ughh.....!_ " The girl groaned a low, gravelly groan through a splitting headache, finally pulling herself into an upright sitting position and pressing her hands against her head, sending more flowers tumbling to the floor in the process. She was still dizzy, and their voices were a little unbearable.  
"Oh dear," the woman named Aerith commented. "Careful now, don't strain yourself! Let the flowers help." She poured a cup of water from the sink and carried it over to the bed in offering. Accepting it, the girl raised it to her lips and sipped. Gingerly at first, before taking bigger and bigger sips, like it was the nectar of the gods. Aerith gave a soft laugh as she picked up the fallen flowers and placed them back on the bed, before taking the cup back and refilling it.  
"...Let's start again," said Yuffie, attempting to lower her voice a little. "I'm Yuffie! That one's Aerith. We live around here!"  
The girl stared at the space between the two of them, not really looking at anything, not bothering to brush her hair out of her face. She liked the buffer it allowed her, the sense of protection.  
"...Nice to meet you." Her voice was a little clearer now.  
"Yeah, you too!" Yuffie replied with a smile, pleased they seemed to be getting somewhere now. Aerith handed the refilled cup back to the girl, who took another big gulp immediately.  
A beat of silence passed. Yuffie and Aerith glanced at each other.  
"Soo..." Yuffie continued. "You got a name?"  
The girl stared into the water, catching a glimpse of her dappled reflection.  
_Do I have a name? What did they call me...?_  
"...X."  
"X?" Yuffie exchanged a quick glance with Aerith, reminded of all the bizarre and terrible stories they'd been told by their friends that always seemed to circle back to that letter.  
"Mmmm......" Yuffie pressed on. "Where'd you come from? You got a home? A family?"  
"...I don't know."  
"Or are you, like. Homeless? Is that why you're covered in rags?"  
She groaned again, one hand returning to her head. "I don't know..."  
"Slow down." Aerith put a hand on Yuffie's shoulder and stepped forward to try her luck. Yuffie frowned and leaned back in her chair, not wanting to ask what was really on her mind.  
"It's okay," Aerith assured as she sat on the edge of the bed. "Relax yourself. Do you like the flowers? I grow them in my garden, and we use them to make potions. They'll help you recover. Or at least numb the pain." Aerith reached an arm out with intent to place her hand on the girl's head, on the side opposite to her own hand. The girl flinched in response and leaned away instinctively, suddenly fearful eyes daring to look into the woman's.  
They were soft, and calm and loving and caring. Above all, genuine. She meant no harm, of course not. The girl relaxed her shoulders slowly and lowered her own hand, eyes darting away bashfully as Aerith gave her an apologetic, sympathetic look and raised her arm again. Maybe it was the healing scent of the flowers making her drowsy again, but she sighed and leaned into the gentle caress of her cheek, eyelids falling shut. A warmth filled her chest, a smile lined her face. She couldn't recall ever feeling welcoming of another's touch, but it was familiar all the same. Like a close friend she'd not seen in years. More than welcome.  
"You were in the castle basement, weren't you? One of their test subjects."  
"Aerith!" Yuffie sat up abruptly. The girl felt similarly shocked, for just a moment, looking between the two of them. Then she nodded gently.  
"I..." The hand left the girl's face and she was immediately saddened by it, so she reached out and grasped it for comfort before drinking the rest of the water. Aerith simply smiled.  
"They kept me in a cell," the girl continued. "They did tests and asked me questions. I couldn't answer them... I didn't know anything. I just told them about my dreams..."  
As she continued staring into nothing, a fearful look crept into her eyes. She gripped Aerith's hand tighter. Yuffie lowered her head again, hiding her face behind her arms. Her eyes peeked out as she watched the two intensely.  
"One of them... He..." Her voice grew ever softer as her muscles tensed up again. She wasn't sure she could finish the sentence, or if she wanted to.  
Aerith's chin quivered. She pulled the girl into a hug before she could speak again and the girl gasped sharply, frozen for a moment. Then she sighed again and let herself melt into the embrace, resting her head against Aerith's chest.  
"...X," Aerith began slowly, rubbing her back with one hand. "That man is dead now. Dead and gone. He can't hurt you, or anyone else."  
X was silent for a while, not really sure how to process that.  
"...And the others?"  
Aerith glanced at Yuffie, who winced.  
"...You don't have to worry about them either," Aerith half-lied. "You're safe now." Better spare the details until she was ready.  
"...So," Yuffie finally chimed in, opting to change the subject. "What kinda stuff was in your dreams?"  
Aerith frowned at Yuffie for a moment, before understanding the question. She pulled away from the hug to look X in the eye with another smile. "Do you want to talk about that?"  
The girl stared down, blankly, at the bed. She nodded slightly.  
"...I saw a town. An old, beautiful town full of light... People in robes, with faces like animals... Lots of kittens everywhere."  
Neither spoke, letting her continue.  
"I had friends... I had four friends. I loved them..." She frowned. "...And there was a key."  
The girls stole another glance at one another. A very knowing one.  
"I don't know what it all means, but... I like it there. I'm happy."  
Aerith offered another smile, concerned. "Well, you'll be happy here too. We'll be around to take care of you for as long as you need."  
"Yeah! You can come crash at my place if you want," Yuffie offered. "I can help you get some decent clothes, getcha hair cut. You'll be looking _great_ in no time. Feeling great, too!" There was a teasing hint to her voice.  
X smiled at the thought.  
"...Is it... okay, if..." she mumbled. "...Can I sleep some more?"  
"Of course you can," Aerith gave a friendly smile and a rub of her head, taking the cup from her and standing up from the bed. "Get all the rest you want. We'll be right nearby."  
The girl did her best to look up at them both and return the smile.  
"...Thank you." She laid back down under the covers, trying to get comfortable. Aerith waited until the girl's eyes were closed, and then gestured for Yuffie to follow her out the front door. Yuffie glanced at the untouched bag of groceries on the way out, shrugging. Maybe they could bake something nice later.

Outside the house, Aerith crossed her arms.  
"Crash at yours?"  
Yuffie rubbed the back of her neck.  
"What? Just an offer."  
"She can't stay here, Yuffie. Not if they're still around too. I don't want her having some kind of breakdown."  
"Why did we even let them back? After whatever they did..."  
Aerith sighed, staring up at the castle in the distance.  
"That's not important right now," she answered. "We need to find someone who can take her in. Someone in a different world."  
Yuffie put her hands on her hips, trying to think. "...Traverse Town?"  
"...Traverse Town's too empty these days. She needs people around, who she can trust. A friend from her past, if that's possible."  
"How are we gonna start looking for someone like that?"  
There was a moment's pause between them, before they spoke in deadpan unison.  
"...Sora."

Inside the house, she could hear bits and pieces of their conversation.  
They were looking for somewhere to send her. Someone else to take care of her.  
She didn't know why, but it left a horrid feeling in her stomach.


End file.
